Refill attachment for steam irons



May 1, 1 951 7 s. F. KOLODIE 50,825

REFILL ATTACHMENT FOR STEAM IRONS Filed Feb. 17, 1948 iNVENTOR. Gear'ge E KoZodL e BY iron.

ready for operation.

Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,550,825 REFILLATTACHMENT FOR STEAM IRONS- George F. Kolodie, Brooklyn, N. Y. I Application February 17, 1948, Serial No. 8,841

4iv Claims.

This inventionv relates to an electric steam and pressing iron and more specifically to a device to be utilized for refilling the water chamber of the iron. 7

My principal objective is to construct a. device that will furnish a simple and safe method of adding water to the steam iron while it is in a heated condition.

Today, the principal disadvantage of this type of iron is that in order to refill the iron with water a cap' is removed from an inlet opening in the body of the iron and water is inserted through a funnel placed in the opening. Due to the hot sole plate of the iron, the initial water that contacts this plate is immediately converted into steam and is forced back out through the opening. Also, on many occasions hotwater is forced outwardthrough this opening causing discomfort to the operator.

The invention broadly comprehends a body of a steam iron equipped with an adapter having avalve and a device having a water delivery element and an outlet adapter that may be connected to the adapter in the body of the iron. The outlet adapter is also equipped with means for opening the valve to allow the water to flow from the delivery element into the body of the Upon the removal of the delivery element the valve automatically closes and the iron is In addition. to eliminating the danger of being scalded by steam or splattered with hot water while filling the iron, through the use of my device, the necessity of disconnecting the electric current from the iron during this filling operation is also eliminated.

Further advantages are that the iron may be filled with water more quickly and also: that steam will commence to generate in the body of the iron in a shorter period of time.

A further feature is that my device may be readily adapted to be utilized in connection with all of the conventional steam irons presently on the market.

Further advantages and unique features of my invention will be apparent as I proceed with the description.

;With reference to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows an end elevation partly in section of my device attached to the body of a steam iron;

Fig. 2 shows a sectional view through the inlet adapter of the iron and the outlet adapter of the water delivery element when coupled together;

Fig. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the cap that may be attached to the inlet adapter;

2 Fig. 4. shows a side view partially insection of the lower portion. of the vent tube and the ball valve member;

Fig. 5- shows a sectional view through the inlet adapter with the cap attached;

Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan adapter; and

Fig. '7 shows a. plan view of an inlet adapter.

In Fig. l I show my device if! attached to the body of an iron H having a steam or water chamber l2. The principal component parts of my device it) include a valve 20 secured to the body of the iron, and an outlet adapter 40 having a water delivery element, funnelior the like 4| attached thereto. Threaded into the upper side Wall [3 of the iron is the valve 29 which includes an inlet adapter body 2i, the upper portion of which is equipped with notches 22 and segmental L shaped flanges 23. Positioned between the adapter bo .y and the wall l3 of the iron. is a gasket 24. Extending through the center of the body 2! is a passageway 25, the lower end of which terminates in a valve seat 25. Secured to the lower portion of the adapter body is a cage 21 having a bottom. 28 and vertical side openings 29. A spring 38 is positioned within the cage 2'! having one end contacting the bottom. 28 and the other end contacting the ball. valve member 31. Normally, the spring 38 holds the ball member 3| against the Valve seat 26 acting as a check valve to prevent the outflow of steam from the hollow body portion l2 of the iron. Adapted to coact and couple with the inlet adapter body 2! is an outlet adapter body Mlequipped with segmental shaped lugs 42 on its lower portion.

Extending through the passageway 43 in the outlet body Mi is a vent tube 44 whose lower end projects below the lower edge. of the outlet body 2.! and whose upper end extends upward into the. funnel M. The vent tube 44 is supported by the projection 58 which is integral with the body 46. The passageways 25. and 43 in the inlet and outlet bodies are of the same size while the vent tube is of smaller overall diameter so that a passageway 45 is formed between the walls of the passageways 25 and 43 and the outer wall of the vent tube 44 through which the water may flow from the funnel 4| into the chamber. The upper end 46 of the vent tube 44 is curved downwardly while the lower end of the vent tube is equipped with steam ports 41. Positioned a short distance above the lower end of the vent tube and above the ports 41 is a circular flange 48 whose function is to direct the water away from the ports 41. To operate the device l0 view of the outlet the cap 49 is removed'from the inlet adapter 2| which normally is threaded into the body of the iron. lhe outlet body adapter :20 is then coupled to the inlet body adapter 2| by directing the lugs 42 into the notches 22 and then giving a slight turn to engage the lugs 22 under the flanges 23. At the same time the coupling operation is taking place, the lower end' oi the vent tube id projects down through the passageway 43 in the inlet body adapter 40 and forces the ball valve member 3| downward against the pressure of the spring 30. A prescribed amount of water may then be poured into the funnel M and the water will immediately pass down the passageway 65 between the outer wall of the vent tube and the inner walls of the passageways through the adapter body into the chamber 12. The purpose of the flange 53 is to direct the water outwardly into the body of the iron and any steam that is generated through contact of the Water with the hot plate will immediately pass through the ports 07 up through the vent tube M where it will be condensed into water and fall into the funnel 41. When the water from the container M has all passed into the body of the iron, the outlet adapter :30 may be given a slight twist to uncouple it from the inlet adapter 2! and the container may be removed from the iron. As the funnel is removed, the lower end of the vent tube M will release its contact with the ball valve member 3! allowing the spring 30 to force the ball valve member 3! against the seat 25 and thereby closing the passageway 25 preventing any steam or water from passing out of the hollow body 12.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a present preferred form which it may assume, it is not to be limited to such details and form since many changes and mondifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a steaming and pressing iron having a hollow body provided with a self-closing valve, of a device comprising a water delivery element having an outlet adapter, and a vent tube extending through the adapter into said element and projecting from the adapter, and coacting means on said valve and the adapter for connecting the device with the valve, said tube opening said valve when connected as stated, thereby delivering water from the element into the body.

2. The combination with a steaming and pressing iron having a hollow body adapted to receive a supply of water, of an inlet member having a seat, a valve member carried by said inlet and movable between a closed position on the seat and an open position off the seat, and a device for delivering water into said body through said inlet member when the valve member is off the seat, and coacting means on the inlet member and said device for connecting the device with the inlet member, said device having a vent tube which moves the valve member into the open position when the device is connected with the inlet member, so that water may flow from the device into said body.

7 3. The combination with a steaming and pressing iron having a hollow body provided with a self-closing valve, of a hollow device for delivering water into said body through said valve, and coacting means on the valve and said device for connecting the device with the valve, said device having a vent tube extending through the hollow of the device with a return bend outlet end directed into the hollow of the device, the inlet end of the tube causing the valve to open when the device is connected with the valve, so that Water may flow from the device into said body and at the same time enable any steam from said body to be condensed by passage through said tube.

4. For use in refilling a pressing and steaming iron with water, an attachment comprising a water delivery element having an outlet member, a vent tube secured to the outlet member and extending through it into the water delivery element with a portion of the vent tube projecting from th outlet member, said outlet member having an outflow passage therein around the adjacent portion of the vent tube and communicating with the interior of the water delivery element, a self-closing water inlet valve adapted to be secured to said iron, and coacting means on the outlet member and the inlet valve to connect the water delivery element with said valve, the projecting portion of the vent tube constituting means for opening the valve for delivering the water from the delivery element when the latter is connected with the valve.

GEORGE F. KOLODIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

